Archivist
'Archivist' Some say the pen is mighter than the sword; These keepers of ancient knowledge take this saying to a whole other level in the defense of their sacred libraries, and ancient texts. Using scrolls and other pieces of paper as lethal weapons, they can strike from afar or even up close. Role: The Archivist is an offensive arcane caster. While they are good at ranged combat, they excel in melee. Alignment: Any Hit Die: d8 Class Skills The Archivist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier. 'Class Features' 'Weapon and Armor Proficiency' The archivist is proficient in simple weapons, but not armor or shields. However they are always proficient with their scroll blade and scroll shield. 'Spells' An archivist casts arcane spells drawn from the Glamourist/Occultist spell list presented in BM/RB Spells. An archivist must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the archivist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a archivist's spell is 10 + the spell level + the archivist's Intelligence modifier. An archivist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Progression. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). An archivist may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the archivist decides which spells to prepare. 'Scribe Scroll' At 1st level, an archivist gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat. 'Scroll Blade' An archivist can wield any paper, parchment, or cloth scroll as if it were a melee weapon. In the hands of the archivist, the scroll acts as a short sword with an enhancement bonus equal to 1/2 the level of the highest-level spell on the scroll; a scroll with only a cantrip or 1st-level spell on it counts as a masterwork short sword. The archivist is proficient in this weapon, and feats and abilities that affect short swords (such as Weapon Focus) apply to this weapon. Activating this ability is a free action. A scroll blade only retains its abilities in the hands of the archivist. The scroll blade has hardness 0 and hit points equal to the highest-level spell on the scroll. Each successful hit by the scroll blade reduces its hit points by 1; this damage cannot be repaired, but does not affect casting from the scroll. When its hit points reach 0, the scroll is destroyed. If a scroll contains a spell with a metamagic feat, this ability uses the original spell level of the spell (a scroll of empowered fireball counts as a 3rd-level spell). At 3rd level, when using a 4th-level or higher scroll as a scroll blade, the archivist can choose to reduce its enhancement bonus by 1 (minimum +1 enhancement bonus) to treat it as a reach weapon. For example, he could use a scroll of charm monster (a 4th-level Wizard spell) as either a +2 short sword or a +1 short sword with reach. At 5th level, when using a 4th-level or higher scroll as a scroll blade, the archivist can choose to reduce its enhancement bonus (to a minimum of a +1 enhancement bonus) to give any of the following weapon properties: defending, frost, icy burst, keen, ki focus, shock, shocking burst, speed. Adding any of these properties consumes an amount of enhancement bonus equal to the property’s cost. The archivist must know the prerequisite spell or spells to craft the weapon property in question (for example, he must know haste to be able to give his scroll blade the speed property). 'Scroll Shield' An archivist can wield any paper, parchment, or cloth scroll as if it were a light wooden shield. In the hands of the archivist, the scroll grants a +1 shield bonus with an enhancement bonus equal to 1/2 the level of the highest-level spell on the scroll; a scroll with only a cantrip or 1st-level spell counts as a masterwork light shield sword. The scroll shield has no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or maximum Dexterity bonus. An archivist can use a scrollblade in one hand and a scroll shield in the other hand, or if they choose to, they can wield a scroll blade in each hand. Activating this ability is a free action. A scroll shield only retains its abilities in the hands of the archivist. The scroll shield has hardness 0 and hit points equal to the highest-level spell on the scroll. Each successful attack roll against the archivist reduces the scroll shield’s hit points by 1; this damage cannot be repaired, but does not affect casting from the scroll. When its hit points reach 0, the scroll is destroyed. At 5th level, when using a 3rd-level or higher scroll as a scroll shield, the archivist can choose to reduce its enhancement bonus (to a minimum of a +1 enhancement bonus) to give it any of the following shield properties: ghost touch, light fortification, moderate fortification. Adding any of these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s cost (see Table 15–5: Shield Special Abilities in the Core Rulebook). The archivist must know the prerequisite spell or spells to craft the shield property in question (for example, he must know limited wish to be able to give his scroll shield the fortification property). If a scroll contains a spell with a metamagic feat, this ability uses the original spell level of the spell (a scroll of empowered fireball counts as a 3rd-level spell). 'Scroll Master' An archivist begins play with a scroll case with 1d6 random level 1-2 scrolls. Starting at 2nd level, when a spell is cast from a scroll by an archivist there is a 50% chance that the scroll is not consumed. 'Bloodshed' Starting at 3rd level, any scroll-blade wielded by an archivist has the Wounding property. 'Analysis' Starting at 4th level, an archivist may analyse the battlefield as a full-round action. Once analysed all of his allies are granted +2 to attack rolls and AC for the rest of the current turn, until initiative resets. 'Improved Scroll Casting' At 5th level, the archivist can cast a spell from a scroll and use his own Intelligence score and relevant feats to set the DC for the spell, and can use his own caster level if it is higher than that of the scroll (similar to a caster using a staff ). The archivist must have already deciphered the writing on the scroll to use this ability. 'Read' Starting at 6th level, the archivist may read an opponent as an immediate action, granting him the opponent's strength and dexterity modifiers as a bonus to AC and the opponent's Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers to his saves against that creature for the rest of the current initiative. The archivist can do this once per day at 6th, twice per day at 12th, and 3 times per day at 18th level. The archivist must be within 20 feet of the target to do this. 'Bestiary' Starting at 7th level, the archivist has a bestiary. This bestiary grants him a +8 bonus to all knowledge checks pertaining to creatures. As certain types of creatures are defeated more often he also tends to glean more than the traditional knowledge of the creatures, and begins to uncover more specific details such as exact hit points and so forth. 'Scroll Bow' At 8th level, the archivist can use a mental bow to fire arrows of paper. This scroll bow is in many ways, very similar to the scroll blade, including hardness and hit points etc. However, whenever a scroll is fired from this bow it is granted various bonuses dependent on the scroll being used, the scroll used for the bow loses hit points every time a scroll is fired. Some examples of the bonuses are if for instance a fireball scroll is fired it has the flaming burst property on the arrow created from the scroll. Scrolls fired this way are destroyed once fired. The scroll bow is considered to be a Longbow, and the archivist is always proficient with it. 'Record' Starting at 9th level, the archivist gains the ability to record certain things in a magical diary, this can be used to perfectly recollect any information in the past, and is generally automatic, meaning the archivist need take no action to do so. This can be used for more general purposes or for more specialized purposes such as recipes and such. 'Death Origami' At 10th level the archivist can record one subject per four caster levels in his magical diary, and fold the paper in various shapes, causing certain things to happen to the target. Only one effect can be on each specified creature. Cross: Target must save or be killed. Beast: Target is granted a -2 penalty to strength and dexterity. Crane: Target is granted a -2 penalty to wisdom and charisma. Frog: Target is staggered, sickened, and fatigued Scarecrow: Target is frightened and takes a -2 penalty to damage rolls. One specific type of creature can be recorded per day per four caster levels. But each part of this ability may only be applied to one creature at a time. (specified type is not creature type, but more specific, such as human zombie, or maimare etc. rather than undead or magical beast. 'Full Analysis ' At 11th level the bonuses granted by the analysis ability are doubled and last an additional turn of initiative. 'Erase' At 13th level, the archivist's death origami ability has an additional feature. He can as a swift action, erase one of the recorded creatures banishing all creatures of the specified type within 60 feet of her to the 998th layer of Asura Omni. Once erased he cannot record another creature until the following day. Nor can he use his death origami ability on any further creatures of the type erased that day. This entitles each creaure a save as per the banishment spell. 'Anatomnomica' At 14th level, the archivist gets an anatomnomica, this book records the physical ability scores and attack types of any creature he faces thereafter. 'Greater Scroll Casting' A 15th level archivist casts spells from scrolls with a +2 bonus to caster levels. 'Paper Trail' Starting at 16th level, the archivist has a very specialized ability to look at any kind of text and learn of the last person who touched it. This can glean the character's class, race, level, location, etc. And the archivist is granted his intelligence modifier to any tracking attempts to find the subject in question. 'Rain of Bloodied Strands' An 18th level archivist has the Wounding and Vicious properties added to his scroll bow, and it now strikes everything within a 10-foot area of the target. The vicious property however will not harm the archivist. 'Storm of Scrolls' A 19th level archivist has the speed property added to his scroll blades, in addition while wielding a scroll blade in each hand, he gains the benefit of Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting. 'Almanac' A 20th level archivist has an almanac that when read, as a free action, gives detailed information about the subject's next standard action.